Snacks – We All Do It – But Can You Suggest The Best Snacks To Give My Child?

Children are tiny balls of energy, constantly growing and in need of their next food ‘fix’. Snacking forms a staple of my little girl’s day. She has been a grazer her whole life, and it’s no surprise - she is always on the go. A real-life Duracell Bunny!

Knowing which snacks are best to re-fuel your child is one of the many parenting hurdles we all face. From carrot batons to rice cakes, chocolate and fruit, there’s a lot to think about.

Weaning babes to snacking school children, we’ve got some of the best snack ideas for you to feast your eyes upon:

Weaning Snacks And Baby Gum Wipes

As soon as your little one can sit up unsupported around the six-month mark, you can begin your weaning journey. Now your child will be better at moving food around their mouth and will be able to chew and swallow.

As soon as you start weaning, it’s essential to stay on top of your little one’s toothbrushing routine. One way to clean your baby's mouth when they’re beginning to eat but their teeth haven’t fully come through yet is through using our baby gum wipes.

You can begin by using baby dental wipes or a clean, soft, damp (dipped into cooled, boiled water) cloth, to wipe away milky sugars from a few weeks old, as it helps remove any food / milky residue that has been left in the mouth, and prevents the buildup of plaque.

Now that you’re at the weaning stage, food debris is another factor to think about.

More and more parents follow the baby-led weaning approach as it supports a broad range of foods, and helps your baby learn the basics of eating. So, what counts as a good snack?

Vegetable batons: cucumber, carrot and pepper sticks are not only healthy, but they are easy to grip and excellent for teething gums to munch on!
Fruit pieces: you can play with many star players from satsuma segments to chopped strawberries, banana to halved grapes.
Rice cakes and breadsticks: easy to hold, and still sitting on the healthy snack scale!
Dry fruit: babies love to suck and chew on pretty much anything they can get their hands on! So take a look at some of the dry fruit options available in your local supermarket to get the best choices on offer.
Yoghurt: a good source of protein and calcium, for healthy bones and teeth.

When your little one’s first tooth makes an appearance, you can introduce a soft-bristled, round-headed childrens toothbrush accompanied with a smear of brush baby toothpaste. A good teething remedy for when their first teeth are trying to pop through is by using our brush baby teething wipes as they contain an anti inflammatory which helps soothe your baby’s irritated gums.

Entering toddlerdom

Toddlers are a bundle of emotions. They are establishing their personality, developing their communication skills and the world around them is moving at 100 miles per hour. It’s a lot to take in. Their brain is growing at an incredible rate. At the same time, your tot has an overwhelming number of challenges to face. Toddlerdom is fun.

By now, you’ve encountered just how hungry your little one can be when facing a growth spurt. Strangely enough, this carries on throughout most of their life!

Except now, ‘need’ has been replaced with ‘want’. If lockdown has taught me anything, it’s how the word ‘hungry’ gets overused! My little girl is four years old now. It shows in her constant desire for food! This started in her formative toddler years and hasn’t stopped since!

Toddler snacking is a slight step up from baby snacking. Sticking to some of your child’s ‘favourites’ like carrot batons or rice cakes is still ok, but you may want to introduce other things too, such as:

Apple slices and peanut butter: healthy and bursting with energy; this is one of my girl’s all-time favourites even now. Make sure your child doesn’t have an allergy before dipping begins!
Crackers and cheese: getting a healthy vitamin D boost is excellent for your little one’s diet.
Vegetable sticks and dip: find a dip like hummus, that your tot can get behind! Then add some vegetable sticks, and you have a perfect mid-morning snack. Simple.
Popcorn(savoury version): not only is popcorn a nutritious whole grain, but it’s an excellent alternative to crisps.

Getting your little one excited about toothbrushing is made easier with the bright, colourful and character brushes available. From two-minute timers to flashing lights, and WildOne animals, brushing your teeth has never looked so much fun!

Downtime after school

Ever since my little girl started nursery, her desire for snacks increased exponentially. It’s like all the extra brainpower she was using throughout the day, made her need an energy ‘pick-me-up’ as soon as we walked through our front door!

Now that she has progressed to Reception, my cupboards are fully stocked with some of her healthy favourites from above.

Brushing her teeth well has never been more critical. Every morning and before bedtime, we brush our teeth together for two minutes. Using her sonic electric toothbrush, she knows precisely when to move on to the next section of her mouth, as she brushes. It really is a gamechanger!

Snacking doesn’t have to be unhealthy. With the right staples in your fridge and cupboard, you can give your little one the energy boost they need to keep them fully fuelled throughout the day.